U.S. patent number 3,944,312 [Application Number 05/565,201] was granted by the patent office on 1976-03-16 for locking device for spade-type electrical connectors.
This patent grant is currently assigned to General Electric Company. Invention is credited to Thomas J. Koenig.
United States Patent |
3,944,312 |
Koenig |
March 16, 1976 |
Locking device for spade-type electrical connectors
Abstract
A locking device for maintaining electrical connection in
spade-type connectors. The locking device has two interconnecting
parts, each of which positively receives a terminal of the
spade-type connector. The locking device includes means which
prevent the lateral and translational movement of the spade
connector terminals therewithin, so that they are held in ready
alignment for connection.
Inventors: |
Koenig; Thomas J. (Louisville,
KY) |
Assignee: |
General Electric Company
(Louisville, KY)
|
Family
ID: |
24257611 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/565,201 |
Filed: |
April 4, 1975 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
439/357;
439/744 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R
13/4223 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01R
13/422 (20060101); H01R 013/42 () |
Field of
Search: |
;339/59-61,217,91,256SP,258S |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: McGlynn; Joseph H.
Claims
Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:
1. A locking device for maintaining electrical connection in
spade-type connectors comprising:
a case and an insert, telescoping at least partially thereinto,
both being interconnectable by a single, centrally-located
attaching means, said case comprising opposed sidewalls and a top
and bottom wall, thereby defining a rectangular box, said box
containing upstanding wedges in opposed relationship to form a
constriction; the distance between the wedges, when measured
diagonally is greater than the width of the spade member of a spade
connection, and the distance, when measured transversely, is less
than the width of said spade member to thereby engage the rear
edges of a spade member inserted into said case through a first end
opening to prevent the spade member's withdrawal from said
case;
said case further having a flexible tongue integral with said
bottom wall at a first end, said tongue having located at its free
end a projection forming a part of said attaching means; and
said insert comprising opposed sidewalls and top and bottom walls,
thereby defining a rectangular box of slightly smaller dimensions
than said box of said case, thereby permitting said insert to be
partially telescoped into said case, said insert further comprising
inwardly projecting detents integral with the top wall thereof to
engage a spade-receiving member of a spade connection inserted into
said insert through a first end opening to likewise prevent its
withdrawal from said insert, said insert further comprising a wall
extending parallel to and equidistant from said opposed sidewalls
to divide said insert into two compartments, each having one of
said detents projecting from said top wall downwardly thereinto,
said top wall further including an upwardly convoluted portion
adjacent a first end to accommodate the connection of a wire to
said spade-receiving member;
said insert being insertable into said case to cause said wedges
and detents, respectively, to hold said spade portions and said
spade-receiving portions in electrical connection when said
projection is hooked behind said first end of said insert.
2. The locking device of claim 1 wherein said detents further
include projections attached to the underside thereof to engage
said spade-receiving member and thereby prevent said
spade-receiving member from being either withdrawn from or extended
through the respective compartment of said insert.
3. The locking device of claim 2 wherein said wedges of said case
cooperate to define a tapered entrance to guide a spade member
inserted through said first end of said case into position.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Heretofore, connectors have been suggested for readily making the
electrical connections between terminal ends of wires. Initially,
connectors were suggested such as spade-type connectors. Their
advantage was that they were easy to assemble and thereby allowed
wiring of various components of an apparatus at a location remote
from the manufacturing site.
Later, it was concluded that if the various terminal ends of
electrical wires of an apparatus were affixed in a mold and had a
connection block molded therearound, positive locked connection
could be effected and would be superior to spade-type
connectors.
Applicant has now devised a locking device which can be readily
adapted to apparatus already having spadetype connectors which may,
for example, be in service and therefore not readily subject to
having the wire terminal ends molded into a locking device. In the
alternative, Applicant's locking device may be used with new
components, supplied by a vendor, with wiring whose terminal ends
have spade-type connectors. In either event, the locking device of
this invention may be later added to wire terminal ends having
spade-type connection elements thereon to effect positive locked
connection therebetween.
The spade-type connectors to which this invention relates are well
known in the art and are shown as elements 10 and 12 in FIG. 1.
The present invention is a new and novel locking device which
obviates the need to mold wire terminal ends thereinto, yet
maintains the connectors in readily-aligned position and secures
them in positive locked relationship when assembled.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention includes a two-part locking device for
maintaining electrical connection in spade-type connectors wherein
each part positively receives one terminal of a spade-type
connection readily aligned in connecting relationship. The parts
are, in turn, interlockingly assembled to effect positive
connection therebetween. More specifically, the invention includes
a locking device for maintaining electrical connection in
spade-type connectors comprising a case and an insert telescoping
at least partially thereinto, both being interconnectable by a
single, centrally-located attaching means. The case includes
opposed sidewalls and a top and bottom wall, thereby defining a
rectangular box. The box contains a plurality of upstanding wedges
in opposed relationship to form a constriction; the distance
between the wedges, when measured diagonally, is greater than the
width of the spade member of the spade connection and the distance
between which, when measured transversely, is less than the width
of the spade member to thereby engage the rear edges of the spade
member, inserted into the case through a first end opening, to
prevent the spade member's withdrawal from the case. The case
further includes a flexible tongue integral with the bottom wall at
the first end, the tongue having located at its free end a
projection forming a part of the attaching means. The insert
includes opposed sidewalls and top and bottom walls, thereby
defining a rectangular box of slightly smaller dimensions than the
box of the case, thus permitting the insert to be partially
telescoped into the case. The insert further includes inwardly
projecting detents integral with the top wall thereof to engage a
spade-receiving member of a spade connection inserted into the
insert through a first end opening to likewise prevent its
withdrawal from the insert. The insert further comprises a wall
extending parallel to and equidistant from the opposed sidewalls to
divide the insert into two compartments, each having one of the
detents projecting from the top wall downwardly thereinto. The top
wall further includes an upwardly convoluted portion adjacent the
first end to accommodate the connection of a wire to the
spade-receiving member, the insert being insertable into the case
to cause the wedges and detents, respectively, to hold the spade
portions and the spade-receiving portions in electrical connection
when the projection is hooked behind the first end of the insert.
The locking device of this invention preferably includes
projections attached to the underside of the detent of the insert,
to engage the spade-receiving member and thereby prevent it from
being either withdrawn or extended through the respective
compartment of the insert.
Further, it is desirable that the wedges located in the case of the
locking device cooperate to define a tapered entrance which guides
a spade member inserted into the case into position to be secured
therein.
The invention of this disclosure has been found useful for securing
the members of a spade-type connection in positive electrical
connection, thereby preventing uncoupling of connections in the
circuitry of major appliances during shipment and installation
thereof.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is an exploded view, having portions cut away, showing the
locking device of this invention; and
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the spade-receiving member
of a spade connection inserted into its respective body portion in
the locking device of FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 shows a spade 10 and a spade-receiving member 12 which can
be joined to form a spade-type connector. In the present invention,
there is presented a locking device for maintaining electrical
connection in spade-type connectors which includes a case 14 and an
insert 16 which is sized to telescope at least partially within
case 14.
Attaching means 18 includes tongue 20 and projection 22 to
interconnect case 14 and insert 16, thereby holding insert 16 into
its telescoped position in case 14.
Case means 14 includes a top wall 24, a bottom wall 26, and opposed
sidewalls 28, which form in combination a rectangular-shaped box
30.
Rectangular box 30 contains upstanding wedges 32 which lie in
opposed relationship to each other, there being four such wedges in
total, forming two constrictions 33 (only one of which is shown in
the drawing), each of which is adapted to receive a spade 10. The
constrictions are sized so that they are greater in width, when
measured diagonally, than the width of a spade 10; yet, when
measured transversely, they measure less than the width of the
spade 10. Thus, a spade 10 may be inserted at an angle through the
constriction 33 and then rotated slightly so that the ears 34
thereof engage notches 36 in the wedges to retain the spade in a
fastening position.
In case 14, shown in FIG. 1, two such spades are held
simultaneously in side-by-side relationship to engage two
spade-receiving members when the locking device is assembled, as
will be more fully described hereinafter.
Referring again to FIG. 1, insert 16 includes top wall 38, bottom
wall 39, and opposed sidewalls 42, thereby defining a rectangular
box 44 of slightly smaller outer dimensions than the inside
dimensions of box 30 so that box 44 may be telescopically received
therewithin. The insert 16 further includes inwardly projecting
detents 46, integral with the top wall 38, which engage the edges
of retainers 48 on spade-receiving member 12. The detents function
to hold spade-receiving member 12 in position within insert 16 in
spade-receiving relationship to the spades in case means 14.
FIG. 2 shows detent 46 more clearly, wherein it can be seen that
head 50 includes a hook 52 which is engageable with crimps 54 to
prevent the spade-receiving member from being either withdrawn from
or extended further, once inserted through first end opening 56
into insert 16. Thus, spade-receiving member 12 cannot be either
forced forwardly completely through insert 16, nor can it be
withdrawn once inserted therein but, rather, it is positively
retained.
Insert 16 further includes a wall 58 extending parallel to and
equidistant from opposed sidewalls 42 to divide box 44 into two
compartments 60, each one of which includes a detent 46 projecting
from top wall 38 downwardly thereinto. In addition, top wall 38
includes an upwardly convoluted portion 62 adjacent first end
opening 56 to accommodate large wires which may be connected to
spade-receiving member 12.
In the use of the locking device of this invention, both the case
and the insert are placed on their respective members of the spade
connector and then, themselves, connected together to
simultaneously establish electrical contact between the respective
connector members. More specifically, spade-receiving member 12 is
inserted into insert 16 through first opening 56 until it is firmly
held in position by detent 46 so that it can neither be withdrawn
nor advanced further. Similarly, spade 10 is inserted through the
constriction 33 formed by upstanding wedges 32 while on a diagonal.
Then, spade 10 is rotated to a transverse position where its ears
34 engage notches 36 to position it for insertion into member 12.
After both spade connector elements are in position in aligned
relationship, or in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, where two of
each are in their proper positions, insert 16 is advanced and
telescoped into case means 14. It will be noted that projection 22
includes a declivitous surface which is engaged by insert 16 to
force projection 22 temporarily out of the way due to the
flexibility of tongue 22. As insert 16 is being telescopically
associated with case 14, the connection between spade 10 and
receiving member 12 is simultaneously being established so that,
when this connection is perfected, projection 22 is free to recover
to its normal, unflexed position and engage insert 16 adjacent
first opening 56. The electrical contact between the spade-type
connectors has now been made and the connector elements are held
firmly together by the locking device.
* * * * *